


Birth of Angels

by Leigh Jackwood (Leigh_Jackwood)



Series: All That Glitters [6]
Category: Book of Lost Tales - Fandom, TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works, The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Appendixes, Backstory, Book of Lost Tales, Family Trees, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-06
Updated: 2015-01-06
Packaged: 2018-03-06 10:03:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3130532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leigh_Jackwood/pseuds/Leigh%20Jackwood
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After staying long in Lindo's halls, Eriol makes his way to the beach and finds another tale is waiting for him. He is told of the Houses and deeds that led to the final defeat of Morgoth.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Birth of Angels

**Author's Note:**

> Technically this takes place during the Book of Lost Tales at some point when Eriol gets a spare moment during all the tales everyone is telling him. The events described however take place at various points during the Silmarillion and the Lord of the Rings (as well as in the gaps between and after).
> 
> The names used here are Quenya:  
> Turukáno - Turgon  
> Itarildë - Idril  
> Laurefindil - Glorfindel  
> Ñolofinwë - Fingolfin  
> Fëanáro - Fëanor

**Of Arenwë and Elenwë**

 

Perched cross-legged on the edge of a rock pool, her feet in the cool still water, she waited. Curiosity led a crab to brush her toe and scurry away quickly. In her hand she held a book, open on her knee but she had long since tired of reading it. The sea and it's ever moving streaks of colour, white horses running towards the sand over the shadows of hidden rocks held her attention far longer than any runes.

  
The beach was full of life. A gull walked along pecking at shells, another sunned itself on the pebbles. Yet more birds, cormorants and kittiwakes played on the rocks. Further out the bobbing heads of seal pups danced above the waves. Crabs wore little paths across the sand, worms lolled towards the water and tiny fish made their way through the rock pools. Always, in the lulls between birds' cries, was the continuous voice of the waves, like silk rubbed together and echoed a hundred times. The wind caught at her hair as it sailed past, adding to the noise.

  
To her it was no quiet, deserted shore. The heart of Tirion could not have been louder. Although far from any house or cottage and near no roads it was not isolated, merely out of the way, a back room to the island. From her rock she could see where the hidden road lay, stretching out beyond the horizon. Along the road little lights, not visible to elven eyes would pass at times. The elves had however seen the ship, none could miss it. For the mariner she waited, not patiently as one who has time or virtue is patient but as one for whom time means so little they can wait an eternity without noticing.

  
Thus it was that as she sat by the rocks, the mariner was told many tales by her friends who lived in the cottages and she bade them make no haste for many were the mariner's questions and full answers they required. Night and day passed and still she sat, watching the stars and the seals at play.

  
After a time the mariner set forth from the cottage and into its garden. There, down a little track made by tiny feet long ago he came at last to the shore. She did not expect him to find her strange, for among her own kin she was not deemed strange and it had been many a year in any reckoning since she had met with a stranger. Thus when he drew back with caution she grew restless from confusion.

  
"Come," she bade him and set aside her book.

  
It was not her way to think people peculiar, but it had once been of her mind to remark when things were out of place with those around her. Upon seeing him she recalled many things. His hair was shorter than that of her kin, wiry and loose. In another lifetime she had held tender heads such at that in her arms and then watched them fall in battle. His eyes were bright but not so deep for they were young and would never grow as old as the eyes of elven children. In a long gone land such eyes had cried for her and looked and watched for her coming. Of his voice she knew nothing for each creature has its own voice and it spoke words that recalled no feeling from a time long lost beyond the sea.

  
"You are one I have met wandering in dreams, although always I walked behind you and could never see your face," said the mariner in wonder.

  
"Come, sit." He did so, knees folded against the sand. Footprints stretched back to the woods upon the ridge, one set only in a neat and determined line.

  
"What name may I call one such as you?" asked the mariner.

  
She smiled at the thought for hers were simple pleasures and the giving of names, and receiving of them were her amusement.

  
"Eruhína," she told him. She chose it for it was a name she had given herself. She said it also because it was true and had no tale of giving behind it, no more than any name a child is given.

  
"Those in the cottages call thee Eriol. Why hast thou come, Eriol of the line of Eärendil?"

  
"I come to seek the histories of the elves, and to fulfil my heart's yearning for the sea."

  
"Thou hast been told much in the house of Lindo, so why hast thou come hither?"

  
At this the mariner looked away at the sea. It seemed to take him a good while to form an answer.

  
"There were tales I was not told. It seemed to me I had been shown a room yet only half was lit. There is much that is still secret and I wish to know it."

  
She deemed it a good answer and smiled at him.

  
"Ask, Eriol. I shall answer with all that I know of such matters. No truth shall I hide from thee. Not often do I tell those histories which thou doth desire to hear. It was only at the King's bidding that I told them once before. Since then I have not spoken save to those of my kin who wandered other lands with me and know already what is to be told. Yet ask, for it is my mind to tell thee and thus to tell thy folk through thee what came to pass in their lands long before their time."

  
"First," said the mariner after careful consideration. "I would ask who you are, for I am a stranger and know nothing of you or your kin." It was then that she knew he did not understand her name for the tongues of the elves were not well known to him.

  
"It matters little. I am estranged from my kin and wander far from their halls. My father's cottage is small and lies beyond the borders of the King's lands. Beyond even the halls of my brother and sister, whose doors open onto the Western Sea and the Edge of the World. I am not one of the King's folk, nor do I pay homage to the High Kings of Elves. Some, whom I did hold great love for, wander with me and have followed me from lands long lost. Those I count as friends now, not truly as kin. Of other things must we first speak. Remember thy question and perhaps I shall answer thee again in time."

  
The mariner must have been quite afraid that should he not ask the correct questions she would leave for he hesitated again and looked to the sea.

  
"Let me tell thee first that which I wish thee to know," said Eruhína when no questions came from the mariner. "Of the Forging of the World thou hast been told, and of the journey of Finwë, Ingwë and Elwë. Elwë turned aside and with Melian built Doriath whilst his brother Olwë came to Valinor in his stead. Finwë wed Míriel then Indis and of them and theirs much is to be said elsewhere. It is of Ingwë's line that few tales are told, though it is as noble as that of Elwë. Ingwë came with his people to Valinor and with Finwë built Tirion yet even that fair city was not as near to the King as Ingwë wished so he and all those who would follow removed themselves from their kin and dwelt with the King upon his mountain." She paused then, to see if the mariner knew of these things for she did not know what names were foreign to him.

  
"The Vanyar, the most beloved, I know of them. Are they your kin?" She laughed, softly and sweetly.

  
"In many ways, yes. When Ingwë had been taken by Oromë to witness the wonder of Valinor, he had come to the Halls of the King. There, behind the Queen he laid eyes on a handmaiden. She was no elf but Ilmarë, most powerful of the Maia after Sauron, though only once he was Morgoth's creature and rose to power and fell majesty. As a chief of the Maia she stood beside Ëonwë the King's Herald. It was after Ingwë left Tirion that they met again and she desired to wed him. At this time none knew of Melian and Elwë, still asleep in the woods beyond the sea. Many warned against such a match, the loudest voices were those of Olórin, counted even among the Ainur as one of the Wise, and Ossë, who dwells in Ulmo's deep Halls. They cautioned that such power, transmitted by blood would bring only ruin and jealousy upon the Elves. Yet the Queen did not deny her handmaiden happiness and so Ilmarë wed Ingwë in the King's Hall. From them was born Aryonë, the Princess of the Elves, who was quiet and just. She wed an elf who had followed her father from Tirion, Arinion. Finwë sent them fine gifts and gems and bade them peace and joy, no jealousy was yet known between the Vanyar and the Noldor. Aryonë had two sons, one she named Neldingwë who was Ingwë's heir and a prince of the Vanyar. The second went away from the King's Halls and dwelt in the forest with Oromë the Huntsman. It was many years before he returned, bearing two daughters before Ingwë. As he returned the tales of strife between the sons of Finwë were told in Ilmarë's House and she grew afraid that such troubles would plague her kin, as had been predicted by Olórin and Ossë. So she bade her grandson to keep his daughters from the King's Halls and to renounce all claims to Ingwë's title and position among the Vanyar. Great was Ilmarë's fear that the enmity between the sons of Finwë would occur between the sons of Aryonë. So the daughters were returned to the cottages of the Vanyar which lay furthest from Ilmarin and there they lived with their mother's folk and at Ilmarë's bidding Oromë watched over them. They knew their cousins and their kin well for often would Ingwë visit them, but always he would come as their father's grandfather not as a king."

Then Eruhína stopped for a kittiwake hopped onto the rock beside her and she stroked its soft head. After a moment it flew off to sit in the shallow waves.

  
"The elder daughter was named Arenwë, the younger Elenwë. Their hair was soft gold and far they wandered with the Hunt. As they grew they sought the lights and joys of Tirion, so different from their home in the forest. There Elenwë met Turukáno, son of Ñolofinwë and Arenwë met his Captain. Before they were wed Ilmarë took each daughter to her and bade them never tell their Noldor husbands of their lineage. So Turukáno wed the daughter of a petty Vanyar lord and his Captain her wed her sister. Of the line of Elenwë came the first saviour of Elves and Men, of the line of Arenwë came the second."

  
"The second?" asked the mariner.

  
"The first was Eärendil, thy forbear. When darkness fell on Beleriand and Morgoth's shadow threatened all the Children of Illúvatar he sailed forth and brought to their aid the Lords of the West. The second was his cousin, who fought the Shadow when the Children of Illúvatar were at last divided by the sea and the Hidden Vision was enacted."

  
"Of this cousin I would, at your pleasure, learn more." Eruhína smiled at the mariner.

  
"My friends began their tales at the dawn of time, I shall not repeat those. Yet I have already begun, with the tale of her House. I shall continue thus for only with the full telling shalt thou see the workings of Illúvatar and know His love for His children."

  
Time she banished from that shore, for she wished to tell her tales beneath starlight and no interruption on the mariner's part would she allow for supper or sleep. So she made it that for the duration of their talk he wanted neither and would be content to ask his questions.

  
"Was Arenwë's daughter this cousin?" asked the mariner.

  
"Nay. To Elenwë was born Itarildë, who was called Silver-foot. Like her mother she had golden hair and like her father eyes the colour of ebony. Arenwë first gave birth to a son, who for his tresses was named Laurefindil. It was said that the light of Laurelin bathed his head and blue-bell petals were his eyes. So like his grandfather in face was he that only by his stature and speech could it be known that he was then counted among the Noldor. Shortly before the Rebellion of Fëanáro were born twins, a daughter and a son. Isowen, Arenwë called her daughter, and Maltion her younger son. They both took their father's looks with hair as dark as night and eyes of amber, at times those close to them swore they could see the flickering light of candles within them. It is from this House that the one who brought about the fall of Morgoth came, the line of Ingwë and Ilmarë tinged with gold." Then she sighed and for the first time looked away, up at the stars.

  
"What saddens you?" the mariner inquired softly.

  
"That House took gold as its sigil and many a woe was caused by that. For thou must remember, Eriol of the line of Eärendil, that not all that glitters is gold. Often did those of that House mistake starlight and fire for gold and so did not cherish the true treasures that were gifted to them."

  
Then they were quiet for a time and the waves softly stroked the beach as the wind died down.

  
"Did the House of Arenwë go with the Noldor in their flight?" the mariner asked at last.

  
"Aye, for they were sworn to Turukáno's folk and great was the love between the sisters. Great also, was the fear of Ilmarë though she could do nothing to force either one to stay. Such action would the King not allow any of the Ainur to take, not since the Awakening of the Elves."


End file.
